Chapter 141: A Complete Makeover
Stan Sterling stood where he was, watching Frederick Shaw walk away. Seeing him up close, he found the face very familiar.
He subconsciously searched his memory for a match, finally settling on two people. His gaze darkened.
Someone like Stan Sterling, specially trained as a pleasure companion and spy, had to learn a great deal—everything from how to serve people to the details of every powerful figure in Central Command.
He had to remember their preferences, positions, family members, superpowers, and even their eccentricities... ready to identify them when necessary.
His gaze followed Frederick Shaw all the way to the RV, which the boy boarded with practiced ease. For some reason, Stan Sterling let out a sigh of relief.
Lily Hart stood inside the RV, watching Stan Sterling from afar. Their eyes met briefly before they both quickly looked away.
In that split-second glance, they both knew: the other person was aware of Frederick Shaw’s identity.
Lily Hart thought this wouldn’t do. ’He’s too easy to recognize!’ She pulled Frederick Shaw into the storage room.
The little boy was terrified, his hands twisting the hem of his shirt. He looked up at her and asked, "Lily, are you going to send me back to the industrial district?"
Lily Hart didn’t answer his question. Instead, she asked, "What’s your name?"
"Frederick Shaw?" he answered tentatively, carefully watching her expression. When he noticed her brow furrow...
...he instantly changed his answer. "My name is Franklin Shaw." He couldn’t help but puff out his chest and put his hands behind his back, as if seeking approval.
Lily Hart smiled, satisfied. ’Looks like this kid isn’t completely clueless about his situation.’ She reached out and patted his head.
She encouraged him, "That’s right. Your name is Franklin Shaw. You have to remember that."
She then examined Frederick Shaw’s face from side to side. Just as he was getting embarrassed enough to cover it...
...Lily Hart reached out, lifted his chin, and ordered a series of makeup products from the mall. Then she went to work on his face.
He was given no chance to refuse. Frederick Shaw sat in the chair, staring at his completely transformed reflection in the mirror.
His naturally charming peach-blossom eyes, which curved when he smiled, had now been made up to look like round, dewy apricot eyes.
His nose was made to look flatter, his mouth bigger, and his overall skin tone darker. If Frederick Shaw hadn’t witnessed the entire process, he would have wondered who this person was.
"Mission accomplished!" Lily Hart clapped her hands in satisfaction. ’Now, forget his grandpa, even his own father wouldn’t recognize him.’
Frederick Shaw was aware of his identity, but not completely. He only remembered his parents’ dying words, telling him to hide well and trust no one...
"Th-thank you, Lily," Frederick Shaw said in a muffled voice, lowering his head and promising, "I’ll be sure to remember!"
Lily Hart swept all the makeup from the table into a bag and stuffed it into Frederick Shaw’s hands. "Here. From now on, you have to learn to do it yourself~"
Frederick Shaw put the bag of supplies away carefully. He had always been a fast learner. If he couldn’t get the makeup right on the first try, he would just practice a few more times.
’I absolutely cannot let Lily down. And I definitely can’t cause her any trouble.’
Outside the RV, in front of the bathhouse, the ground was covered in the bright red remnants of firecrackers, creating a festive scene.
The opening ceremony had ended. The dragon and lion dance troupes had departed, leaving behind only two stone lions and a red carpet.
The Zombie King invited everyone inside for a tour as waves of the scent of human flesh wafted past his nose.
But his desire to feed wasn’t strong. These low-level humans no longer sparked his appetite.
Only... Lily Hart. She was the meal he craved most right now.
Residents from Fortune Base swarmed into the bathhouse, beginning to look around in twos and threes.
"Whoa, there’s fruit and food?"
"Can we eat this for free? Or do we have to pay?"
To be honest, they felt more at ease paying for it. Eating free food always made them feel a little uneasy.
"CHH... CHH... Hello, everyone. I am the owner of this bathhouse. Welcome. As long as you are a paying customer, the food and fruit on the buffet table are available for you to eat."
The Zombie King Owen Warren’s voice—deep and steady—came through the broadcast, and he began to give a detailed introduction.
At the same time, a huge screen appeared on the wall, displaying an introduction to the bathhouse, along with prices, services, and so on...
Of course, this was also Lily Hart’s suggestion. Pictures accompanying Owen Warren’s explanation would be more effective.
More residents streamed in, packing the rest area and the main hall. Gasps of amazement echoed through the crowd.
"I see the minimum is just 88 points! You can stay for half an hour and get some good food, though there’s a weight limit!"
"Yeah, that’s such a good deal! 88 points, and the food and fruit just have to be under 1kg. That’s... one kilogram!"
"And look! 288 points for an hour, with no limit!"
"Is this owner running a charity? How can something this good exist!"
What they didn’t know was that this was also part of the bathhouse’s service package. By paying 1,000 points a month, The Zombie King got a monthly subscription for the buffet table.
It included services like automatic restocking and fresh items the next day, which was a real bargain.
Someone already couldn’t wait and squeezed their way to the front desk, calling out to The Zombie King, who was manning the station, "Boss, boss! I’ll take the 288 plan to start!"
points was just about three Crystal Cores.
Ever since Lily Hart had arrived at Fortune Base, she had greatly stimulated everyone’s interest and desire to hunt zombies.
The bathhouse’s user registration system was similar to a hotel’s: enter name, scan Light Brain, select package.
Afterward, you would receive a number tag used for timing and queuing. When a spot opened up inside, the tag would light up to notify you it was your turn.
With five minutes remaining, the number tag would also alert you to get ready and pack up.
Generally, you could be sure to get a turn within half an hour.
Because most people’s priority wasn’t bathing, but eating that 1kg of food and fruit.
Customer No. 1 was the first to enter the men’s bathing area. He picked a random showerhead, adjusted the water to a comfortable temperature, and started scrubbing!
The showerheads were all fixed overhead and couldn’t be removed, for safety reasons.
Next to each showerhead were shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, bar soap, and other toiletries.
Customer No. 1 had forgotten how long it had been since he’d had such a satisfying shower. The hot water was unlimited.
He started by washing his tangled, greasy hair. It took him a full three washes and five pumps of shampoo before it felt smooth.
Then he began to scrub the grime off his body. Since he had the 288 package, it came with a complimentary exfoliating mitt.
He slipped it onto his hand and began to scrub relentlessly. The dirt on his body was washed away with the stream of water.
He scrubbed for a solid twenty minutes, his skin turning red, but it was the cleanest he had been in years.
People gradually filled the other showers. Some were shy, others were bold, but once the hot water hit them, all inhibitions vanished.
All they wanted was to enjoy a comfortable hot shower.
The Zombie King manned the front desk, processing packages for each customer. He was a bit clumsy at first, but he got the hang of it quickly and became quite proficient.
Just as he was in the thick of the bustling business, the broadcast suddenly announced: "Customer 0023, you have exceeded your time by one minute. Please choose to extend your session or leave."